https://phoenix.playwire.com/en/publishers/1013074/videos/4811021
For the main event of WrestleMania 32 , there had been rumors that a special guest referee would end up calling the match. Names thrown around included Batista, Shawn Michael, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Mick Foley. One other name was that of The Rock, but word now has it that WWE wanted to keep him as far away from Roman Reigns as humanly possible, and it’s for a rather interesting reason.
While Roman Reigns is reportedly getting major heat backstage from other superstars, WWE wasn’t going to take any heat on them, either. When the name of The Rock was thrown in as a possible guest referee for the match between Reigns and Triple H, it was nixed almost immediately.
Cageside Seats is reporting that the rejection of the special guest referee idea came from the management team of The Rock. WWE appears to have pitched the idea, but they turned it down because they didn’t want their client anywhere near Roman Reigns and the fans booing him out of the building.
While it is said that The Rock and Roman Reigns are cousins, some sites such as Wrestling Aminostate that they aren’tactually blood-related. Even so, they have been associated together on WWE television on numerous occasions.
They weren’t going to be at WrestleMania 32, though.
Daily Wrestling News reported that Vince McMahon originally thought that it would be a good idea to have a special guest referee for the match between Reigns and Triple H. Later, he decided that there would be no interference, and The Rock’s management team may have had a bit of influence in that change of heart.
Triple H had been pushing for Shawn Michaels in the guest ref spot and McMahon didn’t want it, so it ended up not happening. Michaels joined Steve Austin and Mick Foley at WrestleMania 32 , and the legends went out to the ring to take out the League of Nations.
The Rock? He ended up defeated Erick Rowan in record time and being joined by John Cena to take out The Wyatt Family.
Even if he hadn’t shown up as the special guest referee in the main event, there had been rumors that The Rock would at least be in Roman Reigns’ corner for the match. That ended up being nixed as well, because his management team wanted him nowhere near Reigns and the heat that comes along with him.
Last year, WWE had The Rock help Reigns celebrate winning the Royal Rumble and he kept giving him his support. Considering that The Rock is one of the biggest commodities and assets for WWE, they shouldn’t want him getting negative reactions, either.
Not only did his management team want him nowhere near that negative backlash, but WWE has obviously taken The Rock away from the Reigns’ storyline, as well.
It’s rather interesting that WWE has put so much faith in Roman Reigns and pushed him solidly for two full years. They are determined to make him into a huge star, but they wouldn’t dare partner one of the biggest stars in wrestling history with him anymore.
So, even though Roman Reigns is now the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and he stood tall at WrestleMania 32 and he’s being pushed as the top babyface, WWE wanted him nowhere near The Rock. WWE knows no matter what they do right now, the fans are not going to accept Reigns as their company leader. The promotion isn’t stupid, though, and they’re not going to have the fans turn on the biggest asset they may have ever had in The Rock, either.
[Image via WWE]